Gulbarga district
| subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Karnataka | subdivision_type2 = Region | subdivision_name2 = North Karnataka | subdivision_type3 = Division | subdivision_name3 = Gulbarga Division | established_title = | established_date = | founder = | named_for = | seat_type = Headquarters | seat = Gulbarga | government_type = | governing_body = | leader_title = Deputy Commissioner | leader_name = Vishal R , IAS | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = †''' | area_rank = | area_total_km2 = 10951 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 454 | population_total = 2174742 | population_as_of = 2001 | population_rank = | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | population_footnotes = '''† | demographics_type1 = Languages | demographics1_title1 = Official | demographics1_info1 = Kannada | timezone1 = IST | utc_offset1 = +5:30 | postal_code_type = PIN | postal_code = 585101 | area_code_type = Telephone code | area_code = 91 8472 | registration_plate = KA32 | blank1_name_sec1 = No. of districts | blank1_info_sec1 = 7 | blank2_name_sec1 = Lok Sabha constituency | blank2_info_sec1 = Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency | blank1_name_sec2 = Precipitation | blank1_info_sec2 = | blank2_name_sec2 = Avg. summer temperature | blank2_info_sec2 = | blank3_name_sec2 = Avg. winter temperature | blank3_info_sec2 = | website = | footnotes = †'''Gulbarga district website }} '''Gulbarga district is one of the 30 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. Gulbarga city is the administrative headquarters of the district. In Persian language Gul means flower and berg means leaf thus making Gulberga once a land of lavish living. This district is situated in northern Karnataka between 76°.04' and 77°.42 east longitude, and 17°.12' and 17°.46' north latitude, covering an area of 10,951 km². This district is bounded on the west by Bijapur district and Solapur district of Maharashtra state, on the north by Bidar district and Osmanabad district of Maharashtra state, on the south by Yadgir district, and on the east by Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh state. History The city of Gulbarga was founded by the Bahmani Sultans in the 14th century as their capital. However the history of the region dates back to the 6th Century when the Rashtrakutas gained control over the area, but the Chalukyas regained their domain and reigned for over two hundred years. Around the close of the 12th century the Yadavas of Devagiri and the Hoysalas of Halebidu took control of the district. The present Gulbarga District and Raichur District formed part of their domain. The northern Deccan, including the district of Gulbarga, passed under control of the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi.The revolt of the Muslim officers appointed from Delhi resulted in founding of the Bahmani Sultanate in 1347 by Hassan Gangu, who chose Gulbarga (Ahsenabad during this period) to be his capital. From 1724 to 1948 the territory occupied by the present-day Gulbarga district was part of Hyderabad state ruled by the famous Nizams. It was integrated into India in September 1948. Cities and towns in Gulbarga District * Afzalpur * Aland * Chincholi * Chitapur * Gulbarga * Jevargi * Sedam * Shahabad * Wadi Economy In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Gulbarga one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the five districts in Karnataka currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Places of interest Historical places * Sannati, a small village, located on the banks of the Bhima River in Chitapur taluk is known for its Ashokan edicts, Buddhist stupa and sole surviving image of Emperor Ashoka (r. 274–232 BC) himself. * Gulbarga Fort built in 1347 Gulbarga's old moated fort is in a much deteriorated state, but it has a number of interesting buildings inside including the Jama Masjid, reputed to have been built by a Moorish architect during the late 14th or early 15th century who imitated the great mosque in Cordoba, Spain.http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=7608 The mosque is unique in India, with a huge dome covering the whole area, four smaller ones at the corners, and 75 smaller still all the way around. The fort itself has 15 towers. Gulbarga also has a number of imposing tombs(Haft Gumbaz) of Bahmani kings. Religious places Appana Gudi Sharanabasaveshwara Temple : Sharanabasaveshwara Temple also known as Appana Gudi is one of the Religious place to visit, dedicated to an eminent Hindu religious teacher and philosopher, Shri Sharana Basaveshwara,a Lingayat saint of 18th Century known for his Dasoha(Giving is earning) and Kayaka - an advancement of the Karma doctrine - "You have the right to perform the work assigned to you. You have no rights to 'demand' the fruits of your labor" philoshophy. Hazrat Khwaja Bande Nawaz : Dargah is another major attraction for devotees irrespective of caste and creed, dedicated to the famous Sufi saint who preached understanding, tolerance and harmony. Thus Gulbarga is known to be a hub of Hindu-Muslim harmony. Thousands of pilgrims visit Gulbarga during the annual festivals i.e.Urs (Holy Gathering) of Khwaja Bande Nawaz.The festival are well attended by people from surrounding places of all faiths. Hazrat Mohammad Badshah Qadri Darga (Wadi)was a famous Sufi Saint of the region. "Siddharth Buddha Vihar" :- Siddharth Vihar Trust that has built the inspiring Buddha Vihar in Gulbarga. The Buddhist Temple was inaugurated by the President of India on January 7, 2009. The idol of Buddha was consecrated by The Dalai Lama on January 19, 2009.Buddha Vihar, Gulbarga Geography Gulbarga is situated in Deccan Plateau located at Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Gulbarga and the general elevation ranges from 300 to 750 meters above mean sea level. Two main rivers, Krishna and Bhima, flow in the district. Black soil is predominant soil type in the district. The district has a large number of tanks which, in addition to the rivers, irrigate the land. The Upper Krishna Project is major irrigation venture in the district. Bajra, toor, sugarcane, groundnut, sunflower, sesame, castor bean, black gram, jowar, wheat, cotton, ragi, Bengal gram, and linseed are grown in this district.http://www.bharatonline.com/karnataka/gulbarga/weather.html The weather in Gulbarga consists of 3 main seasons. The summer which spans from late February to mid June. It is followed by the south west monsoon which spans from the late June to late September heavy rainfall may go up to 750mm. It is then followed by dry winter weather until mid January. Barring the hot summer months, the salubrious weather of Gulbarga makes a visit to this historical city a pleasant one. Temperatures during the different seasons are: * Summer : 38 to 44 °C * Monsoon: 27 to 37 °C * Winter : 11 to 26 °C Divisions Gulbarga district presently comprises the following 7 talukas after the separation of Yadgir district from it.http://www.deccanherald.com/content/21801/yadgir-district-oct-31.html # Gulbarga # Aland # Afzalpur # Jevargi # Sedam # Chitapur # Chincholi Demographics According to the 2011 census Gulbarga district has a population of 2,564,892, roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait or the US state of Nevada. This gives it a ranking of 162nd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.94 %. Gulbarga has a sex ratio of 962 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 65.65 %. Kannada is the predominant language spoken in this district. Dakhni Urdu are also spoken in this district. Hinduism and Islam are principle religions followed in this district. The Urdu speaking Muslim population is heavily influenced by Hyderabad. Culture Cuisine Tahari : Tahari is similar to pulao and is one of the famous dish in Gulbarga. Tahri is prepared by adding the meat to the rice, as opposed to the traditional Biryani where the rice is added to the meat. Jolada Rotti: Jolada Rotti or Jawar ki rotti is the staple diet of the region. It is prepared from jowar flour. Jolada Rotti is served with a traditional curry and spiced peanut powder. Generally, the food in Gulbarga is believed to be very spicy when compared with the rest of the state. Hoorana Holige : This is a sweet which is a specialty in the place and prepared on all festivals. It is kind of stuffed pancake. Chickpeas and Jaggery are ground and stuffed into wheat flour and then cooked. This is served with Mango pulp as a side dish. Transport Gulbarga city is well connected by road and rail from Bangalore,Hydrabad, Mumbai & other major cities. Local Transport : Taxis and auto rickshaws are available for getting around the city at fairly reasonable rates. NEKRTC city buses also ply within the city and also go to the nearby towns and villages. Long Distance Bus Routes : KSRTC runs the bus service to other cities and villages. Also there are plenty of private bus services. The Bidar-Srirangapatna state highway made travel easy to Bangalore, and neighboring states of Maharashtra, Goa. There are many private services running Volvo buses between Bangalore-Gulbarga,Mumbai-Gulbarga. Railways : Gulbarga is served by a major rail line and is well connected by trains to all major parts of India such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Erode, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Nagarcoil, Bhubneshwar, Jodhpur, etc. Air Port : Nearest Airport is Hyderabad International Airport 220 km from City. Recently, a new airport in Gulburga is under construction. Politics Gulbarga is home for two ex-chief ministers of Karnataka, namely Late Veerendra Patil (1968–1971, 1988–1990) and Dharam Singh (2004–2006) belonging to the Congress party. The current member of Parliament from Gulbarga is Mr Mallikarjun Kharge. He is the honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Republic of India. The members of the State Legislative Assembly are Mr Qamar ul Islam (Gulbarga North), Mrs Aruna Patil Revoor (Gulbarga South) and Mr Revu Naik Belamgi (Gulbarga Rural). Notes External links *Official Website of Gulbarga district * Official Website of Gulbarga City Corporation * Map of Gulbarga district Category:Districts of Karnataka Category:Gulbarga district Category:Minority Concentrated Districts in India